Farm Center plows over A-Plus for third win

Wednesday, June 29, 2011By Anthony S. Puca, Staff Writer

It has been a trying season for manager Dan Sweeney and his Farm Center team from Chapel Hill, but on Thursday all the hard work paid off at one time as the bats came alive, the gloves became sticky, and the young pitching staff held firm in an 11-4 run-rule win over A-Plus Collision Center.

Landon Jones, Blake Leonard, and Tanner Garvin scored five runs and drove in six out the 2, 3 and 4 spots in the batting order with Garvin leading the way via a 3-4 performance at the plate.

Bryce Oliver picked up two ribbies on a single and the game ending fielder's choice and Jordon Mills and Ryan Byrd had one hit and one RBI each.

Chapel Hill leadoff man Ryan Yelensky scored twice, while reaching base in all four of his plate appearances on a hit, two walks, and a beaning.

A-Plus second baseman Grayson Wiles, who would claim the Jonathan D. Hollingsworth Award on Friday, walked stole second and third and scored on an RBI fielder's choice by Dunn Crowder in the first inning.

A-Plus starter Brooks Leftwich wiggled his way out of a bases-loaded jam in the home half of the inning and Yelensky, who started on the hill for Chapel Hill retired A-Plus on one hit by Leftwich in the second.

In the bottom of the inning, everything came together for the Farm Center offense as they sent a dozen batters to the plate in an eight-run inning.

Lenard and Garvin both had two-run hits in the rally, while Oliver and Pruitt drove in one each on base hits.

Chapel Hill induced four bases on balls with Jones' walk driving in a run and Mills was credited with an RBI on a fielder's choice.

Yelensky walked Austin Blade and Zach Smith to begin the third before skipper Sweeney replaced Yelensky with Jones on the mound.

Jones also walked Wiles and Aaron Medley reached on an error that scored Blade.

Two more runs scored on a throwing error with the bases loaded, but the inning ended on the same play when Medley was nailed trying to reach third.

Wiles, who relieved Leftwich with one out in the second, and Jones settled in to pitch two scoreless innings as the game went to the bottom of the fifth where Yelensky banged a one-out single.

Jones came up next and drilled a double to the gap as Yelensky threw a shoe between short and third, but still managed to score run number nine for the Farm Center.

Leonard walked and Garvin singled to score Jones before Oliver grounded a ball back to the mound.

The throw mistakenly went to first as Leonard crossed home with the winning run, ending the game on the seven-run margin in the fifth-inning rule.